I.T. Monthly: October Issue
West Point Consolidated School District
DEAR TEACHERS AND STAFF!!
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, which aims to educate Americans about the importance of cybersecurity and provide resources to help them stay safe and secure online. This is the 19th year of the annual event.
In July, we sent out our InfoSec: 2023-24 WPCSD Beginning-of-Year Cyber Security Training. We had very few staff to complete their training. It is imperative that ALL employees learn how to protect our devices and data. The training will be sent in a separate email from Infosec IQ Notifications. The subject of the email will be Start Your Security Awareness Training. Be on the lookout for your email if you did not complete the training in July!
The week of October 16-20 is Digital Citizenship. We have provided you some important information, lesson plans, activities and videos to teach your students to be successful digital learners, leaders, and citizens. Students must be taught healthy habits with media and technology.
Please read the newsletter in its entirety and contact us with any tips, tricks, or suggestions to improve our communication. We welcome your feedback and ideas.
~I.T. Department
Imagine Math & Math Facts
WPCSD and MDE have partnered to offer teachers Imagine Math and Math Facts for grades 3rd through 8th! Imagine Math personalizes learning and engages students in a meaningful exploration of mathematical understanding. It is designed to help students learn essential math skills, explain their thinking, and apply their learning inside and outside the classroom.
Teacher & Student Accounts
To get started, teachers and students will login with Clever. The apps are located on the district page.
Newsela
West Point now has premium Newsela ELA access!
We’re pleased to announce that you and your students now have premium Newsela ELA access! Your subscription opens the door to an extensive library of 15,000+ instructional articles and interactive videos, empowering you to create engaging and tailored lessons.
When you use Newsela in your weekly instruction, you’ll be able to:
practice literacy skills to drive achievement and reading comprehension
build background knowledge and boost confidence in our learners
include diverse perspectives into instruction and create a more inclusive classroom
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
Digital Citizenship Week: October 16-20, 2023
Just as we’re citizens in the real world, we’re citizens of the online world too; there are essential standards, skills, and behaviors to good digital citizenship and responsible use of technology.
Teaching good digital citizenship is all about preparing learners to harness technology for good; using the internet to learn, participate and engage meaningfully; while also being mindful of safe and fair use of technology and minimizing harm online.
As the internet and its applications evolve, so does the concept of what it means to be a good citizen online. Elements of digital citizenship include:
- Balancing media consumption and well-being
- Privacy, security and internet safety
- Safe social media use, relationships and communication online
- Online etiquette or ‘netiquette,’ cyberbullying or hate speech
- Media and information literacy and identifying and evaluating information online.
KAMI
Kami: Digital Citizenship
Ensure your class stays safe online with our comprehensive collection of online safety worksheets. Our interactive activities and exercises cover topics like cyberbullying, privacy, and responsible online behavior. Click Here to find resources for your class!
Digital Citizenship Video for Grades K-2
Digital Citizenship Video for Grades 3-5:
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Digital Citizenship Video for Grades 6-8:
Digital Citizenship Video for Grades 9-12:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Mississippi State University: Center for Continuing Education
Click on the flyer below to learn more about the October Featured Course and other opportunities to earn CEUs.
Learning.com: Back-to-School Webinar Series
Learning.com's Back to School Webinar Series is designed to provide you with valuable insights and strategies for effectively integrating technology into your school's curriculum. Click the picture below to register for a webinar!
FriedTechnology: Free On-Demand Courses for Mississippi Educators!
Browse through the list of courses and register at https://www.friedonline.com/mscourses. Once enrolled, participants have 10 months to complete the course. Course completers will receive a Certificate of Completion and can apply for CEUs or SEMIs within 6 months of completing the course. For more information, please contact ms.help@fried.tech.
APPLE LEARNING VIRTUAL CONFERENCES
Mississippi State University
West Point Consolidated School District: I.T. Department
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Location: 359 Commerce St, West Point, MS 39773, USA
Phone: (662)494-6364
Katie Roach
West Point Consolidated School District
Email: katie.roach@westpoint.k12.ms.us
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Phone: (662) 295.9412
Meon Carroll
West Point Consolidated School District
Email: shekia.carroll@westpoint.k12.ms.us
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Phone: 662.295.0322
Contact us with any questions or tips you may have!
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Location: 359 Commerce St, West Point, MS 39773, USA
Phone: (662)494-6364